We all want to consume electricity wisely. We all want our apartments to be equipped with modern appliances, but to continue to be energy efficient. The problem often occurs at the beginning of the spring and summer seasons. It happens that the bills for the consumed electricity suddenly increase. And we really don't know how it happened. Last year, we followed your doubts and resolved them together with you. This season, we are ready to warn you about the most common mistakes.
What is energy efficiency?
The term energy efficiency has several meanings. We can freely say that it is a set of activities. One part refers to technical devices, the other to the measures we can implement, and the third to the behavior by which we can influence energy efficiency. We can say that the devices are energy efficient when they have a high degree of useful effect, ie. small losses during the transformation of one form of energy into another. The measures we can take to make the devices energy-efficient refer to the adequate adaptation of residential or commercial space. Behavior by which we can influence energy efficiency refers to developing awareness of energy efficiency and managing electricity consumption in order to minimize it.
The most common problems in implementing energy efficiency
The biggest misconceptions are that it is impossible to reduce electricity consumption to a minimum, without disturbing the level of comfort, but to maintain or even increase the level of comfort. Even when we think of saving, the first associations are renunciation, and abstinence from something. So, all the negative associations for energy efficiency. Problems that also arise are incompetence, ignorance and a lack of desire to find a solution that can lead to lower electricity bills. The most difficult problem to solve is the maladaptation of the object, and this problem requires a slightly longer explanation.
Energy efficiency and the unsuitability of space
In order for a living or business space to be energy efficient, it must have the following elements:- Built-in wall insulation
- Efficient carpentry (doors and windows that seal, do not leak air, do not emit or receive heat to a large extent)
- Made insulation of floors and ceilings, ie. ceiling
- Blinds, awnings and curtains that will help protect from direct sunlight
It is almost impossible to save energy if the air conditioning works all summer, the windows are open, the blinds are raised, we do not use curtains. We have not invested in the insulation of the ceiling (ceiling) and we are in the attic. We do not want to repair carpentry that does not seal. All this is the reason why air conditioners cannot cool a space, and radiators and TA furnaces cannot heat it. So, a situation is created in which the tenants do not have ideal temperature conditions for life, and plus, the energy consumption grows from month to month.
Energy efficiency and elements of the Smart Home
- Activation of radiators a couple of hours before arriving in the room
- Activation of cooling devices just before arriving in the room
- Lowering the awning during the day
- Lowering the blinds during the day
- Automatic heating shutdown, ie. cooling when opening windows or terrace doors (Smart Home subsystem can register the opening of windows or terrace doors)
- Automatic lowering of blinds due to a pre-set maximum temperature (For example, when the temperature reaches 25 degrees, all blinds lower automatically)
- Air conditioning of the apartment by zones (for example, only the zone in which you currently reside is cooled)
- Applying foils on glass that can prevent the penetration of sunlight (protection against insolation)
Energy consumption monitoring with the Smart House system
Energy efficiency sometimes does sound like a complicated process, but it really isn’t. The Smart House system has a developed application (Magiesta) with which you can monitor the daily electricity consumption, but also to compare the consumption recorded during one day with the consumption from the previous day, the same day of the previous month, the same day of the previous year. The same comparisons can be made for a specific month, for a specific year, and even for a manually selected period. The smart home is a symbol of energy efficiency, and we believe that it is now clearer to you why.
